Alexander the Great

Table of Contents

Plot Overview

In 356 B.C., Alexander was born into a state
that was already in the midst of great change. His father, Philip
II, who was largely responsible for these changes, had given Alexander
a united Hellenic League over which to rule. As Macedonia had hitherto
been looked upon as semi-barbaric, when Philip reorganized the
state and conquered Athens and Thebes, the rest of the Greek city-states
were reluctant to submit themselves to Macedonian rule. Indeed,
though they would succeed in keeping Greece in line, neither Philip
nor Alexander ever had the sincere loyalty of his citizens, for
Greece could never get past its resentment of Macedonia. Moreover,
it did not help the ruler's cause that republicanism–and even democracy–were
being explored in the individual city-states. Aristotle must have
had a difficult time educating the young prince Alexander to become
a monarch when he likely doubted the justice of that position.

Alexander also inherited the legacy of the Persian invasion.
His father had long dreamed of the idea of invading Persia but
had died before he could achieve it. The roots of the conquest
were manifold. Formally, it was carried out to free Greek cities
under the rule of Persia and to revenge wrongs done to Greece in
the past. Money may also have been a factor, as Alexander was in
significant debt and counted on tapping into the opulence of Persia.
Perhaps more important, the prevailing sentiment of the times was
that non-Greeks were barbarians and deserved to be enslaved. Even
the enlightened Aristotle was adamant in this belief, and he educated Alexander
to that extent. Alexander himself would depart from his former
master, and his desire to cooperate with Persians earned him the
resentment of many conservative Macedonians.

Alexander's opposition, then, stemmed from two corners–the Greek
city-states, which were constantly looking for a chance to rebel
against him, and his own Macedonians, who objected to his attitude
toward the Persians. The differences between Persia and Greece
were significant in practice as well as theory, which led to many
conflicts in the court. Alexander, for his part, made many concessions
and adaptations to the Persian way of life, including participation
in religious rituals and marriage Persian women–which served only
to worsen his unpopularity.

Conquest was Alexander's main–and perhaps only–ambition. He
was fortunate that the power of Persia was in decline. He of course
preceded the Roman Empire, but the idea of building such an empire
was far from new. Most territories were used to the fact of outside
rule; some fought and others conceded. It is significant, however,
that each territory had to be dealt with individually, for defeating
the Great King was not sufficient in itself.

The construction of Alexander's life is itself problematic,
for it is difficult to separate fact from legend. In general, historians
have had to deduce the truth by evaluating a variety of sources
and stories. When uncertainties persist, more than one account
must be acknowledged. One of the most famous sources is Plutarch's Lives.